Martellus Bennett Biography

Childhood and High School

Martellus Bennett was born on March 10, 1987, in San Diego, California. His parents divorced in 1990 and Martellus and his older brother Michael were raised by their father. The brothers were inseparable and both loved to play football.

Martellus attended Alief Taylor High School in Houston, Texas. Bennett earned first-team Class 5-A all-state honors from the Texas Sports Writers Association in his Senior year due to his snatching up 42 catches for 487 yards and six touchdowns. According to Rivals.com, Martellus ranked as the #1 tight end and #8 best player in his senior year college prospect class.

College

Initially, Bennett had committed to play for Miami but he ended up playing for Texas A&M. In his sophomore year he made 38 catches for 497 yards and three touchdowns which made him a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award which he went on to win in 2006. The College highlights for Martellus Bennett is available online.

NFL Draft

At the 2008 NFL Draft Combine, the Dallas Cowboys selected rookie Bennett. Jerry Jones, the Cowboys owner stated that Bennett was chosen to “add a new dimension” in a two-tight-end offense. His 40 time at the NFL Draft was 4.69, with a vertical:34. Bennet’s height was 6-6 with a weight of 259 pounds.

2008 NFL Season

Bennett was given the number–two tight end position after signing a four- year contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

2009 NFL Season

Bennett took a few steps backward as a receiver with only 15 catches for 159 yards, and 0 touchdowns.

2010 NFL Season

A January news conference revealed that Bennett had breakout potential but needed to focus on his game more. Bennett had 33 catches for 260 yards and no touchdowns making this a career high.

2011 NFL Season

Injuries kept Martellus from playing in two pre-season games and 2 regular-season games. Before the start of the 2012 season he decided to leave and start with the New York Giants.

2012 NFL Season

Bennett signed a one-year contract with the New York Giants for 2.5 million. In spite of his injuries, he lost some weight, and recorded 55 receptions for 626 yards and 5 touchdowns.

2013 NFL Season

Signed up for four years with the Chicago Bears. He wrapped up his year with a career-high of 65 receptions for 759 yards which was the second highest in team history.

2014 NFL Season

Bennett was suspended for five days for slamming Kyle Fuller, a teammate, to the ground.

2015 NFL Season

2015 was a season of turmoil for Bennett due to injuries and disputes with fellow teammates and coaches.

2016 NFL Season

Bennett was traded to the Patriots- becoming their #1 tight end. In spite of his injuries he scored a career-high of 7 touchdowns-winning the 2017 Super Bowl.